Improvement in middlings-separators



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. N. S M I T H.

MIDDLINGS SEPARATGR. No; 19 0 3 8 1 Patented May 1 1 87 7.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Sham o/K' 6W,

' ATTCRNEY N.FE|'ERS, PNOTD-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON, D. C,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

c. N. SMITH.

MIDDLINGS SEPARATOR.

Patented Mayl, 1877.

U ED STATES PATENT @rrron onmstrmn N. SMITH, OF DAYTON, 01110.

IMPROVEMENT IN. MIDDLINGS-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [90,381, dated May 1, 1877 application filed t September 16, 1876.

" To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN N. SMITH, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented a new and-valuable Improvement in Middlings-Purifiers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the conthe fan-box. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are details of the coupling, the supporter, and the knocker.

This invention has relation to middlingspurifiers; and it consists, mainly, in the construction and novel arrangement of the slatted shaker, the riddies the air-inducts and draftways, and the fan-chamber; also, in the riddle-knockers, the elastic hangers or supporting-arms, and the eccentric coupling at-- tached to both shaker and riddles; and, finally, in the valves of the conveyer and the means for operating the same.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the outer wall or case of my middlings-purifier, which is rectangular in form, and may be provided with glass-covered apertures through which the operation of the machine may be inspected. In order to secure a proper degree of strength, the wall-boards z of the case may be secured to an external frame-work consisting of uprights y, and horizontal, longitudinal, and transverse bars w. The case may, if thought desirable, be divided into three horizontal sections, one or all of which may be removable. The arrangement of the internal devices in this case would be such that the upper section would contain the fan and vacuum chambers, while the shaker would be in the middle section, and in the lower section would be placed the conveyer, and above this, the riddles. These sections should be of nearly equal size, and the same general arrangement of the internal parts is designed to be adopted, even if the sections are not made removable.

In the upper part of the case are arranged a series of transverse inclined boards, a, and at right angles with these a series of transverse boards, a, oppositely inclined. These boards extend. from side to side of the case, forming a series of angular vacuum-chambers, B, but they do not meet at their lower edges. There is a passage-way, 12, between each set of transverse boards, which is designed to be closed by hanging valve-boards 0 hinged to the lower edges of boards a, and abutting, when closed, against the lower edges of boards a. The upper edges of boards a" are joined to the boards a at right angles, and below the upper portions 0 of the latter, which form extensions inclined in the opposite direction to that of the draft of the fan.

Above the vacuum-chambers B, and immediately under the top of the case, are located vertical guides to, which extend across the case and downward to about the level of the upper edges of boards a. At one end of the easing, beyond the vacuum-chambers, a box, 0, is

formed for the reception of the fan T and itscase T, a draft-flue, 61, being left between the end wall of the casing A and the box, for a purpose hereinafter explained. The wallboards of the fan-box O extend from casewall to case-wall, and terminatebelow the case-top E, being met at their upper edges by the vertically-vibrating valve-boards D, which are hung in bearing near the top of the case and extend downward. The journals d of these valves are extended through the casing to afford means for operating the same from the outside.

At the other end of the case, beyond the vacuum-chambers, is formed a vertical draftflue, d, extending from the upper edge of the first inclined board a, nearly to the level of its lower edge.

ceived upon an inclined spreader, G, which delivers them upon an inclined slatted shaker, H,

extending from the lower end of the spreader to the opposite end of the case. This shaker consists of a rectangular frame, provided with a bottom board, 6, and above the same transverse inclined slats, which are designed to be arranged in two layers, whereof the lower slatsfare broad and but slightly inclined, as these receive the middlings, while the upper slats g, inclined at a higher angle andhaving their lower edges somewhat above the middle portions of the slatsf, serve to guide the draft through the shaker. This air-draft enters at the lateral inducts 70 in the case A at the upper end of the shaker, in front of the vertical transverse partition-board l, whichbounds the lower portion ofthe flue d, and closes the end of the shaker. Between the lower margins of the inducts 70 extends a transverse bearing-board, e, in contact with which the upper end of the shaker-floor moves. end the shaker-compartment of the case is closed by the inclined transverse partition f, Y

which is attached to the case and forms a continuation of the outer wall of the flue d, which receives the draft through the shaker. The lower edge of this board is in contact, or nearly so, with the fuppersurface of the lower end of the shaker-frame. The shaker is supported in the case by elastic hangers I, which are atmovement in the case, facilitating and accelerating the descent of the middlings to' the lower end thereof, whence it falls upon a riddle or riddles, L, arranged in a frame located below the shaker, and, like it, supported on elastic hangers I differing in no respect from those above described in connection with'th'e shaker. i V

The middlings, having been introduced into the machine through the passage or opening F, fall on the spreader, and are carried by the draft on to the shaker, when the fluff and dust will be removed by the strong currents of air drawn up through the slats of the shaker by the action of the fan before the middiings reach the riddle. A strong draft is designed to be employed, and such middlings as may reach the vacuumchambers will be re-delivered to the shaker automatically through the valved openings.

The riddle L is provided with graded cloths,

and in order to prevent the clogging thereof,

crescen -shaped metallic knockers M are employed. Each knocker is provided with a shank, 12., extending upward, and having at its upper end a cross-piece, m, at right angles thereto. The under side of this cross-piece or hearing is V-shaped or angular, as indicated At the other" These hangers sustain the shaker at each end and allow it free endwise.

for the passage ofoperating-rods t.

at p, and it is received into angular grooves or notches 9, having a little more spread made in the upper edges of the walls of the slotted central or bearing part 111/ of the anvil-plate K, against which the ends of the knocker M are designed to strike when the riddle 'is actuated in a vibratory manner. The suspended portion or knocker M is designed to be connected, with the anvil-plate K in such a manner as to be detachable, as this plate is secure to the frame of the riddle. With this object in view the central portion m is slotted longitudinally at l, the slot being sufficiently long for the passage of the crossbearing m when turned endwise in the direc- After the pas-.

tion of the length of the slot. I sage of the cross-bearing through the slot it is turned cros'swise,'and its angular edges seated in the notch-bearings 'p. The riddle is located just over. the 'conveyer-compartment, and it is so arranged that itsheadjisbrought into close proximity with the foot of the shakerfand both shaker and riddle are connected by plate-arms 'q' to a journal bearingor coupling, N. This consists of astrong body-casting, N, open at'the top and'at each end for the reception of the bearing-sections r of Babbitt metal, which are kept from endwise displacement by end flanges r. Bolts n serve to securethe arms q to the body N. Thisbearing is connected with a shaft-jou'r nal, s, eccentrica'lly arranged in the drivingshaft 8, which is seated in suitable hearings in the case-frame. I This shaft may be operated by pulleys and belts in any convenientf manner,.and will cause an endwise rising and falling motion in the shaker and riddle.

In thelower part of the case is located-the conveyer-compartment or receptacle for the middlings after they are cleaned. This is di-' vided' into a series of chambers, R, corresponding to the series of graded cloths em ployed in the riddle, said chambers being divided by partitions R, which are perforated 1n the side walls of each chamber are formed airopenings a, which are provided withvalves c, which are connected to, and operated by, the rods t. "These rods are preferably made flat, and extend from the end of the conveyer' when their operating-handles project through the dividing-walls each to its chamber. These rods lie one upon another, and occupy but little spacein the conveyer-compartment.

By' this means it is designed to graduate the draft, which is admitted through the openings in the side wallot' the conveyer, to suit each grade of cloth in the riddle independently ot' the others.

- What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a fan in a middlings-purifier, of the vacuum-chambers B, the riddles L, the intermediate slatted shaker H, and the flues (Z d, substantially as specifled.

2. A middlings-purifier, having the'vacuum V-bearings thereon, substantially as specified.

6. The elastic supporting-arms I, having the cylinder-heads g and slotted socket-plates K, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with an endwise-moving riddle or shaker, of elastic supportingarms I, having cylindrical journal-head 9 working in the cylindrically-recessed bearingplates K on the under side of the riddle aforesaid, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN NEWGOMER SMITH.

Witnesses:

JNO. A. SGHIEBLE, J. E. BOYER. 

